In 2013, the internet domain registrar company released a super bowl ad consisting of super model Bar Refaeli and actor Jesse Heiman. The two share a 20 second french kiss, then a slogan pops up reading "when sexy meets smart your small business scores". This depicts Refaeli as sexy, but not smart, and Heiman as smart and not sexy. The stereotyping of genders, as done in this commercial, can cause economic discrimination against mainly women. As Jean Kilboune says in her article, Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt, "...when one group is oppressed and discriminated as a group... stereoypes have a different weight and meaning." Though most commercials objectify women, like Kilbourne says, this commercial reinforces the stereotype of thin, blonde, attractive women are not intelligent, and all "nerdy" appearing men only have their intelligence to offer.
The face of Go Daddy, Danica Patrick, introduces the pair as "the sexy side represented by Bar Refaeli, and the smart side...represented by Walter, portrayed by actor Jesse Heiman. (see figure 1). By introducing Refaeli as "sexy", reinforces the problem presented by Kilbourne, that there is a specific beauty standard set by the media of skinny, long hair, and other traits considered desirable. Kilbourne states in Killing Us Softly 4, "[If there's only one way to be beautiful on offer], it can hardly be considered a choice to choose it." This standard set by modern culture, is almost forcing females to believe that there is only one specific "cookie-cutter" model that is considered beautiful. Off the bat, this opening scene sets the tone of the commercial... stereotypical and sexist.
Refaeli is the epitome of today's standard of "sexy". She perfectly fits Jean Kilbourne's stereotypical desirable traits young women set to model themselves after, from her long blonde hair to her skinny figure (see figure 2). Kilbourne states in her film, Killing Us Softly 4, "The obsession with thinness is cutting girls down to a size." Go Daddy stereotypes these type of women as being nothing more than something to look at. Kilbourne's idea that "women's bodies area constantly turned into objects," is enforced by this commercial, using Refaeli's desirable traits to sell their product. The objectification of Refaeli enforces another stereotype that because she is pretty, she is not intelligent.
Heiman is the stereotypical "nerd", which is actually an asset that earns him acting roles in many films (see figure 3). However, this is just the sexist counterpart to the Bar Refaeli stereotype. Go Daddy represents "nerdy" looking men as just smart. This is no different than objectifying women as just being pretty, not smart. Also, they call the supermodel by her real name, Bar Refaeli, but give a Heiman an alias of Walter instead of Jesse. Is Jesse not "nerdy" enough for Go Daddy's standards? This is yet another stereotype that makes it seem acceptable to judge a person's personality by just their name.
Go Daddy's slogan is actually very creative in the context that it managed to enforce not one, but two sexist stereotypes (see figure 4). The first being that women with "desirable" traits, as Kilbourne describes, cannot be smart, and that they cannot be successful without an intelligent counterpart. The second being the "dorky" man is nothing more than smart, and cannot be successful without an attractive counterpart. Kilbourne states in her article, Killing Us Softly 4, "Ads sell more than products. They sell values, they sell images." They compare supermodel Refaeli to their ability to make websites attractive, and Heiman to their ability to make a website intelligent and qualified. However, they enforce the standard that "sexy" is supposed to look like Reffaeli, and that intelligence looks like Heiman.
In conclusion, the famous super bowl commercial does not fail to draw the audience's attention. With about 20 seconds of nothing but Refaeli and Heiman french kissing, the awkward silence is sure to cause the audience to take notice of the uncomfortable situation taking place. However, in doing so, Go Daddy enforces stereotypes of both men and women. They depict the "nerdy" man as being only good for intelligence, and the woman as being only good for her looks. They create and impose unrealistic standards for both genders.
"Go Daddy Perfect Match Bar Refaeli kissing Jesse Heiman Super Bowl 2013 commercial." YouTube, uploaded by FunnyFailDay, 6 Feb. 2013, youtu.be/Mr857fAYtnA.
Killing Us Softly 4. Directed by Sut Jhally, performance by Jean Kilbourne, Media Education Foundation, 2010.
Two ways a woman can get hurt. Kilbourne, Jean. Rereading America. Eds. Colombo, Cullen, Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's P. 2013.